The Hunt-The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case review: A gripping yet sensitive account of the investigation sans any political commentary

Nagesh Kukunoor's The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case is based on Anirudhya Mitra’s book 90 Days, exploring the intense investigation into Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination. 

The Indian OTT space is brimming with police procedural thrillers and therefore when platforms announce the release of another show in this genre, one tends to overlook, wondering what new the series could offer after all! However when you have a brand like Nagesh Kukunoor headlining a project, exploring one of the country's most significant historical events, you are bound to be drawn to the shown with high expectations. Known as one of the most original voices of Indian cinema, Kukunoor takes pride in never chasing formulas and his latest offering The Hunt-The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case reiterates the same. 

The 7 episode series is based on Anirudhya Mitra’s book 90 Days, tracing the intense investigation into Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination. It follows a special investigation team’s race against time to uncover the deadly conspiracy and track down the elusive mastermind, Sivarasan, in a high-stakes quest for justice and political messaging. 

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The first episode dwells into the systematic intricacies and political complexities of the high profile investigation. It opens on an intriguing note with the Indian High Commission office in Colombo, Sri Lanka receiving a nervous phone call enquiring if Rajiv Gandhi is alive hours before his assasination takes place on the fateful night of May 21, 1991 in Sriperumbudur. Considering the gravity of the incident and the massive media and public outcry, following the gruesome murder of the former Prime Minister, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by D.R. Kaarthikeyan (Amit Sial) is forged immediately to investigate the case. The first episode sets the tone of the show impressively well, giving the audience a glimpse of the complexities, challenges, and emotional cost of unraveling the conspiracy that is to follow in the series ahead. 

Kukunoor is known for turning character driven films into cult classics (Iqbal and Dor), however this time, the filmmaker lets his gripping narration, tight yet simple screenplay and smart pacing do the talking. Anyone with even an iota of interest in Indian political history would be familiar with the key events and names involved in the case, however the filmmaker’s knack of storytelling is such that it keeps you hooked to the series right till the end. The show features a complex web of espionage, intelligence failures, and shifting allegiances, and yet it never feels convoluted. 

The Hunt, despite exploring the investigation of a high-profile political assasination, shies away from diving into the socio-political aspect of the case, so much so that its not even touched at the surface level. While those elements would have enriched the overall viewing experience, one can still appreciate the makers for the sincerely with which the show on a sensitive topic as such is handled. It is often said that stories don’t need volume, just vision and The Hunt is clear in it. The show claims to be a police procedural and remains that right till end without any political positioning or finger pointing of the events that played out with great clarity and accuracy. 

“We set out to find the truth and get stuck in the complicated political system”, the dialogue by Sial’s Kaarthikeyan more or less sums up the plight of the officers investigating the case. Their trials and triumphs offer the series some emotional grounding and gives the audience a distant idea of the physical and mental toll their job takes on them. Thanks to nuanced dialogues and sincere performances, you get deeply invested in characters rejoicing at their wins, stressing during operations and getting frustrated when success eludes them owing to pure red tapism. Besides Sial, the series features a riveting cast with Sahil Vaid as Amit Verma, (SP-CBI), Bhagavathi Perumal as Ragothaman (DSP-CBI), and Danish Iqbal as Amod Kanth (DIG-CBI) portraying the real-life figures associated with the case. While Sial, impresses as the level-headed officer Kaarthikeyan on expected lines, Vaid who has been stereotyped into playing hero’s friend and a comic relief in Hindi movies, comes as a pleasant surprise in the show. He is convincing as the intense and fiery CBI officer Verma, who is unafraid of confronting his seniors and wears his emotions on his sleeves. Watch out especially for the scene where he makes ‘a difficult to break’ LTTE member confess his crimes with his sharp wit. The scene conveys his range as an actor. The other actors too play their parts impressively well lending the cause some solid support.

Overall, The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case stands out as a compelling and meticulously crafted police procedural that successfully navigates the complexities of a high stakes political event which educates and enthralls without ever feeling sensationalist or manipulative.

The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case is now streaming on SonyLIV

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